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Are You Really Not Allowed to Quote the Bible on MSNBC’s Ed Schultz Show?

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During a segment on MSNBC’s “The Ed Show,” stranded passengers from the Carnival Cruise ship that finally made its way to Mobile, Ala., last Thursday spoke with NBC News correspondent Mark Potter about their on-board experiences. The exchange has gained a fair bit of scrutiny, as one of the passengers was abruptly cut off by Potter after she began sharing a Bible verse.

“One thing that I do want to say that really just made a huge difference in my time versus some other peoples’ time is we knew where our hope was,” the woman said before the awkward moment unfolded. “We knew the Lord was in complete control of the situation.”

But when she attempted to quote a specific verse, she was abruptly cut off by Potter, who promptly thanked the women for their time and told them to enjoy their trip home.

“Our verse for the trip was Joshua 1:9, which was –,” the woman said, before Potter ended the exchange. While she wasn’t given the chance to share the text, she implored audience members to “look that up” before the segment ended and she walked away (in case you’re wondering, Joshua 1:9 reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”).

Watch the segment below:

Newsbusters juxtaposed this MSNBC interview against another that was conducted by Fox News. While the former didn’t allow for Bible verses to be shared — whether inadvertently or purposefully — the latter did, with the reporter actually asking cruise ship passengers for specific verses that brought them comfort:

While some are critiquing Potter for disallowing the verse’s reading and pointing to anti-Christian bias on a left-leaning show, it’s quite possible that ending the segment was out of his control. Perhaps, he was told in his earpiece that it was time to conclude the interview — a routine in live news. Certainly, the scenario could have been rooted in an attempt to keep the verse from being shared, although it’s also entirely possible that the network was tight on time or that a commercial break was forthcoming.

Also, it’s sometimes difficult for reporters to focus entirely on interview subjects, with producers and control room staff simultaneously communicating with them in their earpieces. So, maybe it was just awkward timing as a result of one or more of these factors.

Regardless, the abrupt cut is certainly worth watching. If only for the awkwardness.